Saturday, August 9, 2014

Relief of a sort

David has been getting to bed at a more normal time for the past 2 days, so I finally have had an hour or two to unwind and catch up on correspondence.

...Now, where are those posts I was trying to write last month?

As I was mentioning to a neighbor, visiting here is always this conflict between wanting to be a hermit and wanting to see people and do certain things while I have the chance. And eat certain foods, but that need somehow doesn’t have any trouble being met!

The other factor is that of course people have different social needs, and we’ve all had to make some sacrifices to help each other have a moment with friends when we’re already tired, or a hermit moment when someone else wants an adventure. I’m not sure if analysis is even necessary…we’re all different!

New England offers some experiences that we don’t get in St. Petersburg, and David has had more outside time and seen a lot of wildlife that he doesn’t have access to normally. And he’s also splashed in the puddle pool and walked in the sand, things like that.

We’re headed back to Russia in just a few weeks. My heart is heavy thinking about deteriorating international relations and all the implications. And it is pretty painful just thinking about ordinary people suffering as a result. But we are looking forward to seeing our friends and starting a new school year. New beginnings always offer hope.

3 comments:

I really dislike the way the media is seeming to almost relish the idea of a new Cold War. The kids feel it and it bothers them. It bothers me, too!

It will be interesting to hear how things seem when you are back.

People are so one-sided in their view of the whole thing in Ukraine. I don't have a clue who is right or wrong, but I do expect it is a LOT more complicated than they make out on most news casts. I remember once connecting with a family who had a young Ukrainian man staying with them. Sergei had just come to live with us, and we thought he'd enjoy visiting with someone who was fluent in Russian. But this young man treated him with obvious disdain and rudeness, and made it quite clear that it was because he was Russian. I will never forget it. Just that experience made me understand that feelings could flare. I was SO hurt and angry, I've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder against Ukrainians ever since!

Monnie pulled a cup of coffee right out of the Keurig machine onto herself last week. I was scared to death, but by the grace of God, apparently she didn't get nearly as much of it on her as David did. I wasn't even home, but I felt guilty because I hadn't specifically relayed that story to everyone at home to warn them. But who knew she could/would reach that high!

A Cold War would certainly be less glamorous in real life. Though as far as I'm concerned, relations have always been rather cold! But it is certainly something bigger than leaders being pompous and foolish; more than a political joke! Sanctions aren't funny,,,they might lead to something else.

For my own sake I'm glad I got to see a little bit of Ukraine before everything flared up.

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About Me

Update on our family:

Our son David was born July '12 and Sophia was born August '16. We spend the school year in St. Pete and do some traveling in the summer.

If you want to read more about a missionary's life in St. Petersburg, you can browse past posts. Key posts are linked below (under construction since the Link List gadget is borken) and there are also labels and archives further down the sidebar.